Reclining-chair



I 2 SheetshSheet L- W ATTORNEY S. D.. Tl. L L.. I H P E mw REGLINING CHAIR.

No; 666,662. Patented Peb. 23, 1666.

4WITN ESSES 2 (No Model.) 2 She ,ei:s-Sheetv 2.

G. K. PHILLIPS.

REGLINING CHAIR.

Patented Peb. 23, 1886.

/M/V Q M TTORN EY WITNESSSI UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GILBERT K. PHILLIPS, OF VVESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

RECLlNlNG-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,662, dated February 23, 1886.

Application filed April QT, 1885. Serial No. 163,51'2. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT K. PHILLIPS., a citizen of the United States, residing at Testeld, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reclining-Chairs, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in recliningchairs, the object being to provide in a chair of this class improvements in the construction and relative arrangement of the parts thereof, whereby the connections between the X-frame and the arms are improved and strengthened. An improved con struction is provided for the swinging frame and its pivotal connections with the Xframe. The manner of constructing, combining, and rendering the swinging frame, the seat, and back, and leg-rest co-operative for the greater comfort ofthe sitter is improved. The construction of the seat and back is so improved as to obviate any rigidleg-bearing across the front edge ofthe former, and both seat and back are caused to adapt themselves to the form of the sitter, the direct connection of the seat with the X-frame is so improved that it permits it to be so adj usted to the weight of the sitter as to properly distribute the weight of the latter and contribute to the equilibrium of the swinging and pivoted reclining parts of the chair when occupied by aperson, the relative arrangement and combined action of the leg-rest, seat, and swinging frame are improved, and the construction of said legrest adapts it to so co-operate with the swinging frame as to enable the sitter by use thereof to control the degree of incline of the said reclining parts of the chair.

In the drawings forming part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a reclining-chair constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe under side of the lower part of the legrest and the lower end of the swinging frame. Fig. Sis a perspective sectional view of the lower part of the leg-rest. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of one of the arms of the chair, showing one end of the X-frame, a section of the hingeeonnecting the latter and the arm and the joint-strap under the arm. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rear end ofone of the arms, the upper end of one of the X-frame parts, the arm-connection with the latter, a part of the joint or hingebetween the X-frame and the swinging frame, and the spring eX- tending between the two latter. Fig. 6 illus trates the joint parts of the upper and lower portions of the swinging frame.

In the drawings, a c indicate the leg and upright parts of an ordinary pivoted X-frame common to folding chairs, and possessing that feature in this construction. The said parts of the X-frame are provided with the usual connecting-rounds, as shown.

The arms b b serve both as arm-rests and as means for preventing the spread of the X-frame underlthe weight of a person7 and by a peculiar connection between the arms and X-frame, as below described, the folding of the said frame is facilitated and great strength is given to said connection. Figs. 4 and .3 illustrate clearly said connection, which consists of a hinge, e, secured on the end of the X-frame a, an iron strap, 1l, secured on the underside of the arm b, partly overlapping the groove 15 in the latter, and having one end bent around the pintle of said hinge, whereby the front end of arm b is connected to the X-frame, and the rear end of the arm is connected with the X-frame by a hook, 1G, on the rear end of said strap 14, which engages with wrist piece or sleeve 1S on a bolt, 17, the latter being secured to and projecting inwardly on the end of the X-frame a', said hook 16 being sufiiciently open to allow the wrist-piece and bolt 17 with said end of frame c to swing toward the hinge c when the frame is folded, the end of frame tt being held in engagement with the arm after swinging away from hook 16 by the hook-piece 19,which is loosely secured on the end of bolt 17, and extends into the groove 15 in the arm and hooks over the edge of said iron strap 14, as shown in Fig. 5.

By reason of the abovedeseribed connections between the X-frame and the arms the great weight of the sitter,which comes mostly upon the rear ends, a', of the frame when he swings back in the chair, as hereinafter set forth, is amply supported, and when the chair is folded the rear ends of the arms swing down ward, lying against the rear edges of t-he frame. A swinging frame, D, of the form shown in IOO Fig. l, and having the rounds d ci uniting its lower ends, is pivoted on the upper rear ends of the X-franie, on the parts a thereof, the pivot-boltsbeing at e', (see Figs. l and 5,) said bolts being secured in side plates, 20, secured on the sides of the X-frame parts, as shown. The joint fornied,as above described, between the swinging frame D and the end of the frame-piece a is sufficiently open, as shown, to allow. the dat spring c2,whose lower end is secured to the frame-piece, to project through between the frame D and part a', having a bearing on the latter,but its free end projecting beyond it. Opposite spring c2, on frame D, is a bearing-plate, 2l, of metal, having a boss, 22, on its end, provided with a friction-roller or not, as may be desired,which provides a bearing-point on frame D when the latter swings back under a load to an inclined position or when a person reclines in the chair, said spring then preventing any shock which might be produced if frame D should swing against the end of the X-fraine a. Said frame D, for convenience in folding the chair when desired, has its upper and lower parts jointed together by the hinges @,said upper part being adapted to swing forward in folding toward the chair-seat.

For retaining the upper end of frame D in the uprightposition shown in Fig. 1,the springstrap 22, Fig. 6, is secured to one part of said frame, and extending across the joint engages with a pin on the other part of the frame, as shown. The end of the strap is easily lifted to disengage the latter from the pin.

The swinging frame D, the seat of the chair, and the leg-rest are constructed, connected,and Yhave a co-operat'ive action, as below set forth.V The lower round or cross-bar, d, of the swinging frame carries thereon the metallic leg-rest connections z' i, Figs. 2 and 3, which are free to turn on bar d, and have a groove on their upper side in which the grooved leg-rest bars f lie, andv inwardly-projecting lips @"2 on said connections engage in the grooves 5 on opposite sides of the bar f, whereby the latter and the connection t' are attached one to the other, and the leg-rest is attached to the fran-ie D, but the swinging motion of the frame is iniparted to the lower end of the leg-rest,the connections i sliding on the barsf, or vice versa, during said motion,to various positions under said rest relative to the hinge-connections of the latter with the seat of the chair,and whereby,when a person is reclining in the chair and having his legs extended upon the rest, the bearing-point ofthe latter relative to the frame D changes with each swinging movement of the latter, the lever power of theleg-rest upon the frame D increasing as the latter swings more and more backward and the weight of the sitter becomes greater against the upper part of the frame D,and vice versa,and thereby the said arrangement of the leg-rest enables the sitter with great ease to swing frame D to any desirable position by the action of the feet and legs, and owing also to other peculiarities of the construction and hanging of the legrest, seat, and back of the chair, as below described. The U -shaped seat-frame h, made preferably of bent wood, has a seat therein consisting of elastic strips or slats o of tough wood, preferably supported on suitable yielding metal straps, o2, extending transversely across frame h, and having their ends looped around the latter and firmly secured thereto in any suitable manner. The slats o are suitably secured to the straps o2, and their rear ends, 03, extend rearwardly beyond the rear strap, o2, and have no connection with any part of the frame h beyond the latter, but are left free to be deflected by the weight of the sitter, and obviate the contact of the latter with any rigid point on the seat. The front edge of the seat consists simply of the ends of the slats 0, which yield under the weight of thesitter,and obviatetheinconveniencearising from a rigid front edge on a seat on which the legs bear more or less.

The chair-seat is suspended in the X-frame by adjustable swingingconnections 8 and l2, near the front end of the seat, and the rear end of the latter is suspended to the upper end of the frame D by the cords k 7c, the latter being suitably secured to the seat and frame, and iiexible cross-slats, of tough wood, m, secured to said cords,constitute the back of the chair, capable of being folded with the frame parts thereof, and forming a back which adapts itself to the forni and position of the sitter.

The above-named connections,by which the seat is hung within the X-frarne, consist of the link 8, pivoted on the inner side of the frame part a, at 10,and free toswing back and forth, and the open notched link-bar l2 secured on the seat-frame and passing through the link. The latter is engaged with either of the notches in the bar, thereby securing the link at any desired fulcrurn-point on the bar, whereby the proper equilibrium of the seat is established (according to the weight of the sitter) in connection with the swinging frame and the leg-rest, the seat for a person of light weight being hung at the extreme forward position, for a very heavy one at the extreme opposite position, and thereby causing the reclining elements of the chair-viz., leg-rest, seat, and swinging frame-to rest in any inclined position to which they may be swung by the sitter; or, in other words, said parts adj ust themselves to the proper center of gravity of the person reclining in the chair, and in this chair no device is needed for securing the reclining parts in any position,for they retain the latter by reason of their above-described pivoted and balanced construction. The aforesaid link-connection of seat and X- fraine permits the seat to move rearwardly when the sitter settles far back in the chair, and in so doing its front end rises, causing the link 8 to swing rearwardly to nearly a horizontal position, and thus the seat automatically takes a proper position relative to the IOO cette@ e incline of the back, grea-tly to the convenience of the sitter.

The leg-rest frame consists ofthe side bars, 10', the abovedescribed bars f,and a series of transverse slats, preferably of tough wood, properly secured to said barsf and sidebars. A foot-board in two sections,w wis hinged to the lower edge of the leg-rest, said sections being hinged one to the other by leather hinges or straps in the well known way, whereby the two sections may be broughtfrom the positions shown in Fig. 1 to a dat one on the face ofthe leg-rest, and back again, said position being partly shown in Fig. 8, the part w of the foot-board there shown being held in an inclined position by the spring side bars, 4, (one o f which is shown in that figura) but said part 'w is brought dat against the face of the legrest by the weight of the legs when the latter are extended thereon. The foot-board is carpeted, as shown. The bars 4 are attached to the footboard by couplings 12. The part w of the foot-board is hinged to the leg-rest by a fold ing hinge consisting of the plate ci, secured to the board, the part x,secured to the end ofthe bar f on the leg rest, and the intermediate strap, z, hinged to the parts ci and x, and capable of assuming a folded position, as shown in Fig. 3, or that shown in Fig; 2. The hingeconnection between the leg-rest and the seat consists of a hinge having three socketsone 3, to receive the end of the seat-frame 11 one, n, to receive the end of the side bar, 10', of the leg-rest, and one, c, standing at an incline to the socket n, "to receive the end of the spring sidebar, 4, the lower end ofthe latter having a link-connection with the section w of the footboard, as shown. The said socket 'v of the hinge and the spring-bar 4 are in a line when the section w of the foot-board is at right angles to the face of the leg-rest, but when said section is, as above mentioned, folded against the rest, it acts against the spring force, bending it slightly, as seen in Fig. 3, and when the weight of the legs is removed from said section the bar 4 causes the edge of the latter to be elevated, as there shown. A person about to sit in the chair places the feet lirst on the foot-board,and then sits down,(hav ing first adjusted the position of the links 8 as above describeth) leaning backward, and

- assuming a reclining position, the foot-boardl and leg-rest meanwhile swinging upward by the action ofthe lower end of frameD on the lat.- ter, and to fold the footboard and extend the legs thereon the sitter presses his heels against the outer edge of the foot-board section w, and the latter is thereby swung to the position shown in Fig. 3, and to a iiat one by the weight of the legs, as above set forth. To bring the foot-board back to the position of Fig. 1, the sitter lifts his legs therefrom,letting the springbars act to partially swing up section w, and then pressing his heels at the junction of the sectionsw and wl the foot-board swings to the desired position. The above-named part x of the folding hinge between the lfootboard section w and the legi'esthas an abutment there on, covering the end of the bar f and the ends of the grooves 5 in the latter, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby the. connection 1J i between the bar d and the barf of the leg-rest is prevented from sliding ottl the former.

As heretofore observed, the chair herei n described may be folded to reduce its bulk for transportion, the X-frame, the manner of connecting the arms b therewith,thejointed swinging frame D, the exible back, the looselyhung scat, and the manner of connect-ing the leg-rest with the latter, and the frame D all contributing to render said folding convenient and easy.

iWhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a reclining and folding chair capable of being folded and having a swinging frame to which the back is attached pivoted at the upper rear ends of the X-frame, the combination, with the latter and with said swinging frame, ofthe arm of the chair hinged to the upper front end of the X-frame and having an open hook at its rear end engaging with aprojecting bolt on the inner side of the upper rear end of the X-frame, substantially as set forth.

2. In a reclining and folding chair, the arm b thereof having the groove 15 therein, the strap 14, secured to the arm and partly covering said groove and having the hook 16 thereon, the hinge c, connected with the end of said strap and the upper front end of the X-frame, the bolt 17 on the rear upper end of the X- frame engaging with said hook 16, and the IOO hook-piece 19, engaging with said strap, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, the X-fraine, theswinging frame D, pivoted to the upper rear ends of the Xframe and having the plate 21 thereon provided with the boss 22, and the springs c2, secured to the X-frame and extending between the latter and the swinging frame, substantially as set forth.

4. In a reclining-chair, the X-frame, the swinging frame D, pivoted on the latter, the seat of the chair attached near its front end to said X-frame by swinginglinks adjustably engaging with link-bars on the seat-frame, and the back of t-he chair consisting of cords attached to the seat, and said swinging frame having transverse slats attached thereto7 conibined and operating substantially as set forth.

5. In a reclining-cliair, the X-frame, the swinging frame D, pivoted on the latter, the seat of the chair attached near its front end to said X-frame by swinging links adj ustably engaging with link-bars on the seat-frame, the back of the chair consisting of cords attached to the seat, and said swinging frame having transverse slats attached thereto, the leg-rest hinged to the chair-frame and having its lower end movably attached to the lower end of said swinging frame, combined and opera-ting subst-antially as set forth.

6. In combination with theX-frame and seat of a recliningchair, the notched link-bars 12, secured to said seat, and the links 8, pivoted IIO IIS

to said frame and adjustable for engagement With said bar at dil-ferent positions thereon, substantially as set forth.

.7. In a recliningchair, the seat thereof consisting of a U-shaped frame open at its front edge, transverse straps secured to each side of said franie and extending thereacross, and fiexible slats secured on said straps, whose rear ends extend unsupported beyond the rearniost strap, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

8. In a reclining-chair, theleg-rest, substantially as described, hinged to the seat and connected with the swinging frame D, having the ing the spring-bars 4, rigidly attached by one end to the upper end of the rest, and having a link attachment With the foot-board section w, combined and operating substantially as Set forth.

9. The combination of the X frame, the swinging frame which supports the chairback pivoted thereto, the seat partly suspended on said swinging frame, and the leg-rest pivoted to the seat and having a sliding connection with the said swinging frame, substantially as described.

GILBERT Ii. PHILLIPS. 

